Controversial radio and television personality Paul Finebaum has co-written a new book — “My Conference Can Beat Your Conference: Why the SEC Still Rules College Football” along with ESPN‘s Gene Wojchiechowski — that is set for release in the coming weeks. Al.com, however, has obtained an advance copy of the book.

According to that advance copy, Texas and its boosters were hellbent on bringing the best coach in college football to Austin. So much so, in fact, that they had put together a financial package worth in excess of nine figures in an attempt to lure Saban to the Longhorns. From the website:

“Texas was dead serious about trying to money-whip Saban,” Finebaum and Wojchiechowski write. “Depending on whom you talk to — Bama big hitters or Texas big hitters — the Longhorns were prepared to give Saban somewhere between a $12 and $15 million signing bonus and a salary package worth $100 million (plus performances).”

That’s, uh, a lot of money Saban (reportedly) spurned. Even on a 10-year deal, that’s $10 million annually; Saban’s new deal pays him “just” $6.9 million a year on average.

Whether that portion of Finebaum’s book is 100-percent accurate could very well be up for debate. What there should be no doubt about is that UT was serious about its pursuit, and its boosters had put their considerable money where their collective mouths were before being rebuffed.

If they offered him nine figures then he would have taken it. It might have been discussed, but I do not believe for a second it was ever formally offered.

vols84 says:Jul 16, 2014 6:24 PM

Finebaum – a University of Tennessee alum that pops a chub if someone mentions the crimson tide. Objective? No. Credible? No. Sensationalistic? Definitely.

mogogo1 says:Jul 16, 2014 6:58 PM

No way Saban turns down that kind of money. And I don’t care how desperate Texas boosters were that’s a simply insane amount of cash. They’d have been totally skewered for paying that much and the first game they lost there’d have been calls for everybody from the AD to the university president to be fired.

dcroz says:Jul 16, 2014 8:21 PM

While I have my doubts about the veracity of the story, there was still no way Saban was going to Texas. He knew that all the money in the state would not make him happy in Austin when he would have spent every waking moment battling with oil-money fat cats for control of his program as well as his person, with demands that he appear with this booster in a golf game or with that booster at his party and such. He’s already got everything he wants at Alabama, including more money if he wants it. He’s not the deft politician that’s required to stay long as the ‘Horns head coach; it will be interesting to see if Charlie Strong is.

Irrespective of the amount TX offered or discussed, the money these guys are getting is beyond obscene.

pike573 says:Jul 17, 2014 1:27 AM

Well I’m sure it was near $10m per in salary and potential bonuses plus endorsements. You figure his base is $6.9m now but his total income from everything has to be a lot more. So yeah $10m for 10 years is believable.

Oh but PFT and ESPN are “unbiased” and just report the “facts”…..yeah right.

dhardy8207 says:Jul 17, 2014 10:54 AM

With the attitude that “everything is bigger and better” in the Lone Star State, I can totally believe this. Especially since they have been licking their wounds ever since the 2009 Championship. What better way to get back than to hire the coach that embarrassed your team on the national stage.

@dryzzt23:

Uumm, this is CFT not PFT… I know it must be hard to keep that straight when in the midst of a tantrum…

Hey dhardly…. were you the guy who sucker punched the qb… or the guy who made shoddy welds….or the teabagger….or the guy who poisoned the trees…or was it your mom who dove into the OU fans? Alabumpkin’ is what Alabumpkin’ does……